Ok, new story! :D
I love Markie so much! Plus he deserves someone to love.
Mark stood by the frosted windows of the apartment. This was the coldest January since he, Roger, Collins and Benny had moved into the place. The coffee in his hands made swirls of steam in the air along with his breath. Another day in this miserable city, Mark thought. Roger shuffled out of his room and blindly towards the coffee maker.
"Good morning!" Mark said brightly.
"mmm." Roger grumbled, pouring the hot liquid into his mug. The phone rang.
"SPEAK!" went the answering machine.
"Hey Roge! Guess what? Mum and Dad kicked me out! Shocker, I know. So… I really need you to pick up… cuz I'm at grand central on a payphone but I don't know your address… so wake the fuck up and answer the phone because I know you're screening your goddamn ca-"
"Andrea?! Why the hell are you in the city?" Roger picked up the phone.
"Are you mad? I thought you'd be happy your baby sister had dropped in!"
"I'm happy, but it's a little unexpected! Why'd you get kicked out?"
"That, is a story for another day. Anyways, I know you and your friends are all broke, so I withdrew all my money from that bank account Mum set up for me and put it in a private one!"
"Why haven't you called me in nearly forever?"
"Mainly because Mum and Dad didn't want you to be a bad influence."
"Too late for that" Roger Chuckled.
"Exactly my point. Anywhoo, where the fuck do you live?"
"Well your language has certainly gotten more advanced since I talked to you last."
"Just gimme the address."
"We live at Avenue B and 7th street."
"Who all's still living with ya?"
"Just Mark, Collins is working part time at NYU and Benny got married and then divorced to some rich girl."
"Ok, be there soon!"
-click-
"Why'd Andrea get kicked out of your house?" Mark asked suspiciously.
"She's a chip of the old block… which is probably why they kicked her out now that she's 18… they at least didn't want her to go to foster care I suppose…"
"Ok, then… She's here? Do we have room for her?"
"She could sleep in Collins' old room, although, we'd have to get him over to move all his shit outta there."
Not five minutes later, a taxi pulled up and a shout was heard from the street, "Roger Davis! Open the fucking door!"
"Hangon! I'm coming down to help with your stuff!" Roger grabbed his coat and ran down the stairs.
"Why the hell did you bring so much?!" Roger said, hauling her extremely heavy duffel bag up the steps."
"Because I left home, dimwit!"
They walked into the apartment with Andrea's duffel bag and backpack.
"Wow, it's as cold in here as it is out there!"
"Yeah, Benny never installed heaters after he bought the place…" Mark said annoyed as he turned to face her. He was instantly stunned. The awkward fifteen-year-old he remembered was nowhere to be seen but in her sparkling blue eyes. Her once flowing blonde hair had been cropped short. Andrea had grown three inches taller and her boobs had filled out since he'd seen her last.
"uh, h-hi Andrea!"
"Mark! I'm glad Roger isn't all alone in this dingy place. Good to see you! Lemme see, it's been three years since I last visited you all? Man, time flies."
"He isn't all alone, besides me he's got a girlfriend."
"Mark! I was gonna tell her that gently!"
"No shit, seriously? Who's the lucky gal?"
"Mimi Marquez, she lives in the apartment downstairs." Roger replied grudgingly.
"What sort of Bohemian is she?" Andy pried.
"She works at the Cat scratch Club."
"You're dating a stripper!"
"I prefer the term Exotic Dancer, if you don't mind." Said a voice from the doorway.
"You must be Mimi! I didn't mean that badly, some of my best friends are strip- Exotic Dancers. I'm Andrea."
"No way! Mark has a girlfriend and she's moving in!!! Yay Markie!" Mimi yelled.
Andrea and Mark both blushed heavily, "I'm not-"
"We aren't-"
"I'm Roger's little sister, Andrea Davis."
"We are for sure not dating."
"Oops! My mistake!" Mimi said nonchalantly as Andrea and Mark awkwardly looked away from each other.
"Soooo… I forgot to ask you if you had space for me, Roge." Andrea broke the silence.
"Well, we have Collins' old bed… but it's half rotten and covered with his old stuff."
"She could stay with me! I have an extra bed!" Mimi volunteered.
"No, I'd hate to force you to let me stay with you. I'll sleep on the couch up here, plus I have money so we can buy a cheap futon to replace Collins' rotten mattress."
"Alright chica, but if either of these boys bother you, just know there's a room for you downstairs."
"Thanks Mimi! Hey, Mark, where's Maureen? Normally she'd be up by now, right?"
"Ah yes, the Maureen issue…" Roger said, "See, Maureen dumped Mark a year and a half or so ago."
"Poor Marky! What's her new guy's name?"
"Joanne." Said all three.
Andy immediately began laughing, "That is so Maureen! Hah! Joanne!"
Mark sulked back towards the coffee maker.
"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings Mark, but you gotta admit that's at least a bit funny!"
"Yeah, yeah…"
****************************************************************
(Two months later)
Andrea sat on the table in the small kitchen area of the loft. A small canvas on her lap, she was surrounded with paint tubes, brushes, a palette and a bucket of water. She'd been working on painting the windows most of the morning. Mark came up behind her.
"That looks good!"
She blushed, "Thanks."
"I like the surreal colors." He commented on the electric blue window frame.
"That's usually accidental… but I'm glad you like it!" She added a few more strokes, then began packing up, "Finished!"
"Are you gonna sell it?"
"Heh, hopefully!"
"The guy who owns the Life likes that sort of art I think."
"Cool! I'll talk to him sometime maybe… Hey, is there any way to get up onto the roof?"
"Yeah, there's a ladder in a closet with a trapdoor, follow me."
Mark led her to a small closet in Roger's room. They reached the top, and in the fresh March air, Andrea sighed.
"It's lovely up here!" She giggled and spun around a few times.
Mark smiled at her childish actions, she's adorable…
She turned back to look at him and he looked away towards the skyline. Taking advantage of the moment, she carefully snuck up behind him and tackled him to the ground. Stifling a laugh, she said one word before running off towards the ladder, "TAG!"
Scampering through the trap door and down the ladder, she ran down the stairs, hearing him close behind. Dashing onto the street she looked both ways and decided to run towards the Life. She turned a corner and saw it in front of her when she tripped and fell.
"Fuck!" She winced as she shook out her stinging hands.
Mark turned the corner and tripped in the same spot landing on the now facing upwards Andrea.
"Ah! I'm sorry!" He blushed heavily, trying to get off of her.
Andrea was beet red. "It's ok… it was an accident. Let's go to the life, ok? I'll pay!"
"Sure." Mark said as he helped her up and they began walking, both trying to shake off the feeling of attraction they felt for each other.